diff --git a/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py b/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py
index cf2132e..a27eb85 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py
@@ -43,15 +43,12 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(['test-vm', 'command'], app=self.app)
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
-        # make sure we have the same instance below
-        null = self.app.service_calls[0][2]['stdout']
-        self.assertIsInstance(null, io.BufferedWriter)
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', {
                 'filter_esc': True,
                 'localcmd': None,
-                'stdout': null,
-                'stderr': null,
+                'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'user': None,
             }),
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', b'command\n')
@@ -69,28 +66,20 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(['test-vm', 'test-vm2', 'command'],
             app=self.app)
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
-        for i in range(0, len(self.app.service_calls), 2):
-            self.assertIsInstance(self.app.service_calls[i][2]['stdout'],
-                io.BufferedWriter)
-            self.assertIsInstance(self.app.service_calls[i][2]['stderr'],
-                io.BufferedWriter)
-        # make sure we have the same instance below
-        null = self.app.service_calls[0][2]['stdout']
-        null2 = self.app.service_calls[2][2]['stdout']
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', {
                 'filter_esc': True,
                 'localcmd': None,
-                'stdout': null,
-                'stderr': null,
+                'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'user': None,
             }),
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', b'command\n'),
             ('test-vm2', 'qubes.VMShell', {
                 'filter_esc': True,
                 'localcmd': None,
-                'stdout': null2,
-                'stderr': null2,
+                'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'user': None,
             }),
             ('test-vm2', 'qubes.VMShell', b'command\n')
diff --git a/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py b/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py
index 1fefb16..1b08b54 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import sys
 import asyncio
 
 import functools
-
+import subprocess
 import logging
 
 import qubesadmin.tools
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ def main(args=None, app=None):
     retcode = 0
     run_kwargs = {}
     if not args.passio:
-        run_kwargs['stdout'] = open(os.devnull, 'wb')
-        run_kwargs['stderr'] = run_kwargs['stdout']
+        run_kwargs['stdout'] = subprocess.DEVNULL
+        run_kwargs['stderr'] = subprocess.DEVNULL
     else:
         # connect process output to stdout/err directly if --pass-io is given
         run_kwargs['stdout'] = None
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ def main(args=None, app=None):
         if args.color_stderr:
             sys.stderr.write('\033[0m')
             sys.stderr.flush()
-        if run_kwargs['stdout'] is not None:
-            run_kwargs['stdout'].close()
 
     return retcode